Join us at the campfire for tales from around the world, told by storytellers of all backgrounds and creeds. From the heros and heroines of old, let us relearn and rediscover the wisdom of our ancestors. Shhh..the story begins..

Once, there were two brothers. One was named True and the other Untrue. True was upright and believed in being kind to all, but Untrue was far from good and told many lies. So many in fact, that nobody could ever believe anything Untrue told them. Their mother was a widow and had little to live on. As soon as her sons were grown, she was forced to send them away so that they might earn their bread in the wide world. Each one received a little scrip which contained some food and then, they went on their way.

True and Untrue walked until evening fell, at which time they sat down upon a windfall in the wood and took out their scrips. The brothers were very hungry after hiking all day and thought a morsel of food would be wonderful.

"If you're of my mind," Untrue said to his brother, "I think we had better eat out of your scrip so long as there is anything in it. After that we can take to mine."

True was well-pleased with this suggestion and so, they fell to eating. But Untrue grabbed at all the best bits and greedily stuffed himself, leaving only burnt crusts and scraps for True. The next morning, the brothers broke their fast with True's food. They also dined from True's scrip and so, there was soon nothing left. All that day, they walked until late into the night. They were hungry and ready to eat again. True wanted to share what was in Untrue's scrip, but Untrue refused, stating that the food belonged to him and that he only had enough for himself.

"But you know you ate out of my scrip so long as there was anything in it," protested True.

"All very fine," answered Untrue, "but if you are such a fool as to let others eat up your food right in front of you, then you must make the best of it. Now, you have no choice but to sit here and starve!"

"Very well," responded True. "I see that you are indeed untrue by name and untamed by nature...so you have always been, and so you will be all your life long."

When Untrue heard this, he flew into a rage and rushed at his brother. Plucking out both of True's eyes, Untrue mocked: "Now, try to see if folk are untrue or not, you blind buzzard!" So saying, Untrue ran off and left poor True all alone.

True stumbled in the darkness, feeling his way through the thick wood, but he hardly knew which way to turn. Then, he caught hold of the trunk of a great bushy oak and climbed up into it. He decided he would sit there until the night was over, for he feared the wild animals who might be roaming below.

"When the birds begin to sing," True murmured to himself, "I shall know it is day and I can try to grope my way farther on." So he took refuge in the mighty oak.

After he had sat there for a short time, he heard someone coming. Whoever it was made a great stir and a clatter under the tree. Soon after, others arrived and when they began to greet one another, True realized it was Bruin the Bear and Greylegs the Wolf and Slyboots the Fox and Longears the Hare...all who had come to celebrate Saint John's Eve beneath the tree. They began to eat, drink and be merry and eventually fell to gossiping among themselves.

"Why don't we...each of us...tell a little story while we sit here?" suggested Slyboots. The others thought it a marvellous idea, deciding that it would be good fun. Bruin the Bear began, for he was after all, king of the gathering.

"The Monarch of Rareland," said Bruin, "has such awful eyesight that he can scarce see a yard before him...but if only he would come to this oak in the morning, while the dew is still on the leaves and rub his eyes with that dew, then his sight would return as good as ever!"

"That is very true!" declared Greylegs. "However, the Monarch of Rareland also has a deaf and dumb daughter, but if he only knew what I know, he would soon cure her. Last year, she went to the communion and let a crumb of the loaf fall out of her mouth. A great toad came and swallowed it down, but if they only dug up the chancel floor, they would find the toad sitting right under the altar rails with the crumb still sticking in his throat. If they then cut the toad open, took that crumb and gave it Princess, then she would be just like other folk again as concerned her speech and hearing."

"That's all very well," stated Slyboots, "but if the Monarch of Rareland truly knew what was what, he would not be so badly off for sunshine water in his palace...for in his palace yard, under the great stone, is a spring of the clearest sunshine water one could ever wish to see, if only he knew to dig for it there!"

"Ah!" said Longears in a small voice, "the Monarch of Rareland has the finest orchard in the entire land, but it does not bear so much as a single crabapple, for there lies a heavy leaden chain of unluck in three turns around the orchard. If he got that bad luck up, there would not be a garden like it for bearing fruit in all the Monarch's kingdom."

"That's very true, I daresay," said Slyboots, "but since it is now getting very late, we may as well go home." And so, they all went away together.

After they were gone, True fell asleep sitting in the tree but when the birds began to sing at dawn, he woke up, took the dew from the leaves and rubbed it on his eyes. Lo and behold, his sight returned as good as it was before Untrue plucked his eyes out.

Then True went straight to the Monarch of Rareland's palace and immediately got to work. When the Monarch came out into the palace-yard, he walked around a little but the day was hot and the Monarch soon became very thirsty. He wanted to drink from his pump, but when a glass of water was poured for him, it proved to be muddy and extremely nasty to the taste. The Monarch was quite vexed.

"I don't think there has ever been a man who has such bad water in his yard as I," cried out the Monarch.

"Well, you have said something there, your Majesty," glittered True. "But if you would let me have some men to assist, you would soon see lots of good water coming up."

The Monarch was willing enough and the next thing he knew, a jet of water sprang up...high and clear and full as though it came out of a conduit. The Monarch declared this to be very good.

A while later, the Monarch came out into his palace-yard again. A great hawk circled around and all the Monarch's best men began to clap their hands and bawl, "There he flies!" "There he flies!" The Monarch took his weapon and tried to shoot the hawk, but he couldn't see that far.

"How I wish there were someone who could tell me a cure for my eyes," he mourned. "If not, I do believe I shall soon become even more blind!"

"I can tell you," said True and so, he sent the Monarch off to visit the oak tree. Needless to say, the Monarch's eyes were quite cured by the dew which was on the leaves. From that time forward, there was nobody whom the Monarch held quite so dear as True.

Then one day, as the Monarch and True were walking together in the orchard, the Monarch said, "I am at a loss to explain...there is no man in Rareland who spends so much on his orchard as I, and yet I cannot get one of my trees to bear so much as a single crabaple!"

"Well," said True, "if I may have what lies three times twisted around your orchard and men to dig it up, your garden will bear plenty of fruit."

The Monarch was more than willing to part with his unluck. So, True got men and began to dig. Now True was receiving more unluck... in fact, he was becoming richer than the Monarch with unluck...but still, the Monarch was well-pleased for all at once, his orchard of life bore so much fruit that the boughs of the trees hung down, laden with sweet apples and pears.

On yet another day, the Monarch and True were walking and talking together, when the Princess passed them. "Isn't it a great shame," said the Monarch to True, "that so lovely a princess should wail and not be heard?"

"Well, there may be something to be done about that," said True. When the king heard this, he was so happy that he promised to betroth the Princess to True if she could be cured. So, True went into the church and dug up the broad toad under the altar-rails. Then, he cut open the toad. At that very moment, the Princess' lost speech returned. Now, True was to be the husband of the Princess...such a sly trick had never before been hear of and it was the talk of the whole land.

Just as True and the Princess were in the midst of dancing the bridal-dance, a beggar lad entered the company...so ragged and wretched that every one crossed themselves. It was Untrue, True's brother.

"Do you know you have seen me before?" queried True. "Untrue by name and untrue by nature, but my brother shall have some mercy-food. After that, if you hear anything that can do you good, you will be lucky."

Untrue did not wait. He got the whole story from dancing people and muttered, "If True has received so much, what good may not I get?"

Untrue went to the oak and climbed its branches. All the beasts came as before to eat and drink and celebrate Saint John's Eve under the tree. When they had finished eating, Slyboots the Fox suggested they all begin to tell stories. Untrue got ready to listen with all his might, but Bruin the Bear was surly. He growled and said, "Somebody has been chattering about what we said last year, so now we will hold our tongues!"

And with that, the beasts bade one another "Goodnight" and left...and Untrue was just as unwise as he had been before.

A section has been added to Penumbra entitled "Rainbow Bridge," dedicated to the memory of our beloved animal companions. It features various pieces of work, whose words, it is hoped, will bring solace and comfort to those who have lost a dear little furry (or feathered or scaled...etc.) one.

It contains an area known as "BlueBird Bower" where a memorial may be placed by anyone upon request in the name of their departed pet (no species refused).

Just click on "RainBow Bridge" on the home page to access the area described.